Little Miss Sophia
by StarkCrazy007
Summary: Not many hear about the boatlift of 9/11. The harbor was full of private and commercial boats ready to rescue the victims of that tragic day and take them all to safety. Tony Stark was one of them. And Pepper rescued a small girl, all alone in the rubble, and she and Tony spent some time together.


_"Do I simply not do enough for you already, Mr. Stark?"_

He frowned slightly at her tone she used with him. Annoyance. He chewed on the inside of his bottom lip scrunching his lips up on the same side he chewed. She had a point. Asking that was a dumb enough decision, joking only made it worse. He cursed at himself mentally. He nearly moved to help her up but stopped. Annoyance. He left his hands where they were, but he looked up at her, caught in the shape of her body momentarily.

"_Shouldn't you be taking that suit off?"_

He would have said something very witty but stopped himself. Annoyance. The emotion she seemed to reek of at the moment. Her voice laced with it. He looked back ahead of him at the cabinets across from him as the clanking of the dishes filled his ears above him. Then a crash of breaking glass made him shoot his gaze up but only to follow her back down. She gripped her side and looked at him with a gaze that sent a bullet right through his metal chest. The bright orange metal plating offering no protection. He wanted to spring to his feet and get her something to help her. Annoyance. He stopped the thought before he acted on it. Instead he just sat there, watching her but then he got on his knees peaking over the island that she fell against and looked at Sophia, who was still sound asleep. He ducked back down and sat back on his feet, still on his knees. For the first time in a long time, Tony didn't do anything for her, other than offer his company. He sighed and looked away from her. _If you need anything, let me know_ the words formed in his mind but not on his lips, nor his voice. Annoyance. He reminded himself. Instead he stood and walked from the kitchen, quietly as he could he passed Sophia who stirred lightly. They all needed some rest.

Tony passed Sophia a little louder than he thought. He didn't even care to notice that Sophia had sat up as he passed. She looked to where Pepper would have been if she wasn't hiding behind the island. She looked back as Tony disappeared outside. The fog had settled around the marina, as the sun began to set. She quietly got from the bed and darted outside to follow him. Something round, bright orange, and yellow caught her eye and she looked over at Tony's helmet and looked back to Pepper, she could only see her shoulder and part of her leg as both of her feet were angled towards each other. She looked back to the helmet and reached up and took it. For her small frame it was very heavy and she struggled to hold it. She tried carrying it under her arm like Tony did but ended up bringing it back around to the front of her, her fingers curling around the edge of the helmet where Tony's head would slip in. One had at the back and the other by the jaw of the helmet. Her arms were fully extended and she was able to bend them and use her stomach to support some of the weight as she waddled to go below deck where Tony was working on getting out of the suit by hand. As big as his boat was, the robots to dismantle and store his suit would never fit in the tighter spaces. Nor did he even think to install them on the boat. He wasnt exactly prepared for anything like this.

Tony began sending signals through Jarvis to detach connections holding the suit together. Starting on his torso. Hydraulics hissed and parts whirred separating the side panels enough for him to hoist it over his head hanging it on the stand that he had fastened in that short period of time. It wouldn't do much, but enough until they were able to go home. All air travel was stopped, no one flying in or out. Tony never even realized how quiet it was during the day not hearing any planes. It was even quieter at night, not being near enough land to hear crickets, his boat so soundproof he couldn't hear the lapping of the waves outside against the boat and the dock. There was one sound that caught his attention as he took the arm sections off laying them on the table. One that wasn't mechanical, it was fleshy. Bare feet on fiberglass, padding slowly and a bit heavy. Like something was being carried and was too heavy to bear its full weight. At first he thought it was Pepper, he looked back and saw no one. The aisle created by the supplies in boxes that had one turn in it from the door was empty. He turned back around and popped the thighs of the suit along with the waist section from his body and hung those as well. Then he heard a little squeak behind him. He turned back and saw Sophia, awake and struggling to carry the helmet in her hands. He met her half way through the aisle just after the turn that she must have been hidden by. She stopped and tried to hold the helmet to him but her arms had been worn out carrying the thing and could only offer a strained motion. He took it from her with ease. Smiling at her. "You could carry that all the way down here?" He asked kneeling down as he took the helmet. "I'm impressed Miss Sophia" He said with a grin. His metal knees clanked down on the fiberglass and the hinges at his toes creaked as they bent.

"You forgot it up there. And I didn't think Miss Potts could carry it." She said with a shrug and watched him with her brown eyes that were so much like his. Then she looked at the suit hanging on the stand and walked right past him towards it. She looked over at him then back at the suit as he stood turning her way the helmet under his arm. "Is this Iron Man?" She asked pointing up at the parts that were positioned on the stand.

Tony walked over and set the helmet down on the table and smiled. "Yes, it is. Well, one of them" He said with a chuckle and watched her as she turned to face him.

"You mean there are other Iron Mans?" She asked and Tony closed his eyes with a smile then looked down at the ground with a chuckle. "Whats so funny?" She said with a bit of a snip to her tone.

He couldn't believe how much she was like Pepper, it only made his smile grow, though into something more gentle. "Sweetheart, I am Iron Man. He has to change his clothes now and then" He said with a smile and leaned back against the table behind him. "This Iron Man is like the police, firefighter and ambulance guy all in one" He said with a smile.

"Then why is he orange and yellow? Streetlights are supposed to be that color" She said with furrowed brows, obviously pointing out his incorrectness.

He chuckled and saw her expression, there she went with that glare again. A younger version of Pepper's. He cleared his throat and looked at her then the suit. He walked over taking the helmet which held both colors, the head held the orange and his faceplate held the bright yellow. "See orange" He placed a finger on it. "A bright orange like this makes it easier for people to see me. In the dark and when I'm crawling through tunnels. And this bright sunny yellow means," He began to put some acting into his explanation, "Be careful! I'm working on something Dangerous!" He threw his hand up as if to call attention to himself.

She looked at him from the colors of the helmet and still had questions burning in her eyes. "So the red on the other Iron Man…means stop?" She asked and sat down at his feet watching him.

"Yes, it means," He began to act again. "Stop!" He kept his voice down but it still gave the impression that he would be saying it louder. He held his palm up facing away from him as if he were telling someone to stop. "It's like a stop sign or a red-light. And no one wants to go through this red-light" He said with a wink and nudged her shoulder. She smiled at him and giggled.

"Then what's the gold for?" She asked and a smile grew on Tony's face as more questions filled her big brown eyes. They were so much like his, except he had hazel flecks around his pupils. The only difference. They held the same wonder and life as hers.

"That's just something that I threw in there to make it look nice" He said with a wink and stood back up putting his helmet on the table. He pulled a leg up onto a chair, this motors still whirring with his movements and he began to pop the sections of his legs off then his boots. "Remember, I'm still Anthony Stark, I always gotta look good" He said with a chuckle and worked on getting the other leg off, though the rocks that were thrown at him by the man in the hole jammed the hinges and controls. He began to really work on it, trying to get the manual release button to push in. He would try with all his strength but nothing. Sophia was watching him, still questions buzzing wildly through her eyes like a swarm of bees. He caught her watching him and he stopped with a huff and a smile. "Would you like to give it a try? I mean you carried that helmet all the way down here. You've gotta have more strength than me" He said with a smile and sat down on the floor near her. He turned his leg completely sideways so that the outside of his leg where the manual release button was and it was up and facing her. "Go on, give it a push" He said with a smile.

Sophia got to her hands and knees crawling over getting on her knees to hover over his leg. She looked over it before placing her hand on the button, it was about the size of her palm. She gave it a pretty hard press but nothing. She tried again, determined not to let her new friend down. Not even a budge. His leg that was twisted over bounced at the knee as she kept trying to push it. Then she gravitated to both hands and got on her feet using her whole weight. "It's not working" She huffed and crossed her arms planting a seat right back on the ground. Her voice broke like she was about to cry from frustration.

"Sir, my sensors have indicated that there is a bit of rubble lodged in the switch below the release" Jarvis spoke and Sophia's head shot up.

"Who is that?" She asked with a gasp and looked around for another person to be in the room.

"Jarvis, Say hello to Sophia." Tony said with a smile. "He's a super smart, super computer. He thinks he's all that" Tony smirked and said quietly though Jarvis picked up on it.

"Hello, Miss. Sophia" The AI responded in a welcoming voice. Then a mister came out from behind Tony in the wall, Squirting him int he back of the head and he jumped forward.

Sophia didn't even notice then, she stared at his leg with a huff. Tears welling in her eyes.

Tony sighed and looked at her, catching her before she started to cry. "Let's see if we cant get it together" He offered and she shook her head. "Come on Sophia." He encouraged as she dug her face into her arms pulling her knees up. "Please?" He asked with the puppy eyes he had used now and again with Pepper. Hoping their likeness went as far as that. The tone of his voice made Sophia look at him, seeing the puppy eyes.

She gave him a smirk. "That doesn't always work on me" She said and left Tony wide eyed and speechless. "But since you said please.." She said and got up again.

Tony had no words. Just thoughts, crazy thoughts. Did he have a kid with Pepper and not known about it for six years? What was going on here? He saw her get up and he smiled. "I didn't think it would" He said with a chuckle and put his hand over the button and she placed hers on top. The size difference was incredible. Tony then realized how big his hands were. Her palms only took up a spot on the back of his hands no bigger than a silver dollar. Though her long dainty fingers reminded him of Pepper's. Why was she so much like the both of them? Well, so much like Pepper? Did she remind Pepper of him? He would probably never know. "You ready?" He asked and looked at her who was standing over him ready to press and she nodded. "Okay, press!" He said and used all the strength he had in one arm, his muscles bulging through the short sleeves of the shirt he wore, and felt the pressure point on the back of his hand being pressed by her with all her body weight behind it. She did have more strength than he gave her credit for. Finally the button shifted and the hydraulics hissed blowing some dust from between the panels. Then the panels separated enough to where Tony could slip out of it.

Sophia gave a dramatic sigh and fell into Tony's side and across his chest into his lap and his arms moved quickly to catch her. He began to laugh, a genuine heartwarming laugh that was just as rare as seeing a lunar eclipse and a haley's comet in the same sky. You were lucky if it happened in your lifetime. Sophia began giggling, Tony's never-before-uttered laugh was extremely contagious. And would only grow the longer he laughed. Soon both of them where grabbing their sides turning red, Sophia almost turning purple. Finally Tony could calm himself down and began to catch his breath. He wiped the tears from his eyes before they fell and Sophia sat up. He hadn't laughed like that in his life, or at least he didn't remember ever laughing as much. Sophia got to her feet and tried to move the leg that stood upright next to him. She tried dragging it to the stand but it only tipped over and Tony chuckled. "You are too good for your own strength. You know that?" He asked with a smile as Sophia heard the clank on the floor and instantly pulled back embarrassed.

"I'm sorry Mr. Stark. I didn't mean to break it.." Tony stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"It's very hard to break these suits Miss. Sophia" He said with a smile and picked the leg back up and put it in the stand. He turned around as Sophie punched him in his leg as hard as she could without breaking her hand on his thigh that was just as built as the rest of him. Most likely for his comment. This little girl was going to whip him in shape in less than a couple of days, Pepper has been trying to do that for fifteen years, with no luck. He smiled and scooped her up by her legs and held her upside down slightly, his arm supporting her back. "Come here you" He said with a laugh and she squealed with laughter. Something that could be heard throughout the boat. "You wanna wrestle?" He asked with a laugh and his hand came out from under her back and began dancing on her ribs making her squeal even more with laughter. "Huh?" He growled playfully with a light tone and picked her back up hoisting her high as she tried to hit him. Though his hands under her arms restricted most of her upper body movements. "I'll take you right now girl." He smiled still holding her high.

"I'll take you down Mr. Stark!" She squealed and began thrashing her legs at him though her short stature made it hard for her to reach him. "So quick you wont even notice!" She exclaimed and Tony laughed.

"Oh, is that a challenge, Miss Sophia?" Tony asked with a grin and set her down still at arms length as she tried to squirm from his grasp. "You have to catch me first" He said with a smile and ran across the length of the lab as she ran after him. He turned around and put his arms out and slightly to his either side of him, darting out of the way as Sophia went for him, left then right, then right again. He finally faked her out and got away from her, running away as she squealed trying to catch him as he darted around the room. Tony was reliving a childhood while creating one for another. This was the child coming out in the Mid-thirties, multibillionaire tycoon Anthony Stark.

Tony made a break for the aisle leading back up to the top of the boat. The last thing he needed was for her to be hurt, or to mess up her fun and tell her no running in the Lab. He didn't plan on either one. He leapt up the stairs waiting for her at the top as she rounded the corner and began climbing up the stairs as fast as her feet could carry her using the rail to pull her up even quicker. She went to grab her friend and he bolted down the side of the deck. "Cant catch me!" He called with a laugh. Their voices and laughs echoing in the night. Jarvis thought it would be funny when he turned on **a song** over the PA system. "Very funny Jarvis!" Tony called out and the AI did not respond. Neither of them were worried of disturbing anyone around the marina, there was no one to disturb. Tony had ran through a door running back into the inside quarters of the boat and the music grew quieter but could still be heard over their giggling. They had reached the party room, which was open in the middle with tables and couches around the edges of the dance floor. Tony had gotten in there before Sophia and decided to duck behind one of the couches against the wall. With just enough space for him to squeeze into. He could watch as Sophia came in across the room, the shadow giving him the advantage to keep an eye out from behind but as she got closer, he ducked back behind the couch.

"Mr. Stark!" She called out as she stepped in. Not seeing a soul in this huge empty room. "Mr. Stark! Where are you?" She sang into the room. "I'll have you know I was the best hide and seek player in my school!" She said with confidence. It was silent, silent enough for Tony to hear his reactor humming and his heart sank at the thought or the possibility that her younger ears could pick up on the low hum. His chest tightened with an anxiety that made him grin. He heard her sit down on the couch he was behind.

He peaked his head out looking up at the ceiling that was part of the second floor, Where the kitchen sat, where he had left Pepper. He sighed wishing she could peak over but he'd left her in pain. Annoyance. There was that word again. He growled quietly and turned his focus back to Sophia who sat there, seeming to starve out her friend. _Good thinkin' kid_ he thought. Children to him were always very devious, and their minds worked better than those with years of experience under their belts. Though he thought he could outsmart her, he began to slowly and quietly slide back to go out the other end of the couch.

Sophia picked up on the hum just as she approached the couch, her devious mind clicking on. Knowing that he would try and get out at the other end she quietly got up and tip toed to the other end where she met him with a tackle on his back and he jumped with a laugh. "Aww you got me!" He laughed and turned under her taking her in his grasp pulling her in front of him and his fingers began their dance on her ribs as she tried to stop him but her attempts did nothing but made him tickle her more. Then he finally stopped when he saw her start to change color. "You're a smart little girl." He said with a smile and picked her up in his arms again. He looked around and was about to take her back to settle down to sleep. Sophia placed a hand on his chest to stop him. "Yes?" He asked and stopped walking.

"Is this a dancing room?" She asked seeing the speakers around the room and the opaque glass floor that they stood on that had soft yellow lights beneath lighting it up while lighting the room. Though they weren't intense.

"Why yes it is" He said and set her down to let her explore.

"This is so much bigger than my ballet studio" She said taking in the sheer size of it. She spun around in the middle of the floor staring at it. Then her eyes locked on the window above them. "Is Miss Potts up there?" She asked and looked back at Tony. Tony had been staring up there as well the entire time. Hoping to see her face peering down at them, but nothing.

"She is…Right Jarvis?" He said then asked gently.

"My sensors have picked up that Miss Potts is indeed up in the kitchen area. Shall I enable the screens in the kitchen to let her watch?" The AI responded.

"Yes! Tell him yes!" Sophia blurted out and tugged at Tony's shirt excitedly. "I wanna show her my dances" She said eagerly. Tony looked down and stroked down her head and pulled her into his side.

"You heard her Jarvis" He said with a smile and a light dainty tune came on for her to dance to.

Back in the kitchen however, The screens that were left on the windows had been recording the movements in the lab and the fun that the two had. Pepper had watched it now and again when her interest caught. She watched from where she sat. A little too weak to stand at the time.

She began to do some twirls and some dance moves that were smooth like a ballerina's. Tony had backed away as she began to move across the floor as the tune played. "Is she watching?" She asked as she caught a glance at Tony.

Tony smiled and looked back down at her, "I'm sure she is, but we must not push her too much, she isn't feeling well" He said with a tone reminding her of Pepper's current state. He really hoped that she had gotten something to eat, and was able to tend to herself. This went on for a few minutes before the song ended and Sophia had finished her dance with a bow towards the window then she turned and bowed at Tony.

He uncrossed his arms, and gave her an applause. "Very nice, Miss Sophia. I can see it on Broadway some day. I'll make sure of it" He said with a smile and she beamed up at him.

"Really?!" She gasped and clasped her hands together. "That's my dream!"

"I will make sure of it. Jarvis, put on something to dance to" He said with a wink and walked over and held out his hand to her with a gentlemanly bow. Then a **song** "Miss Sophia. May I have this dance?" He asked and watched her as she blushed. "I wont take No for an answer" He said with a smile.

She placed her small hand in his massive palm with a curtsey. "Yes you may" She said and he took her other hand in his and began to dance with her. Moving his feet back and forth, taking small steps and turning in a small circle. Sophia picked up on his dance through the classes she had taken and easily kept up the best she could.

Tony smiled and held her put and let her do a twirl as her hand twisted loosely in his as she did her 'princess' turn that he would always call them. Then she raised her hand up the same way he did and he tried to do his best to turn under such a low arm and they shared a laugh as he almost fell. Next thing she knew, Tony had scooped her up in his arms and took her one hand and held it out letting her drape her hand in his like a feather. One arm supported her back and one of her arms was across Tony's back as he stepped in his own little circle to the sway of the music. She rested her head on Tony's shoulder and the slow sways made her sleepy. But she struggled to stay awake.

Once the song was over he looked down at her, gently asleep on his shoulder. A smile crept up on his face and he walked back towards the deck. Stopping to look out into the harbor. The starry sky shining down on the both of them as he walked around to go back into the main quarters of the boat to put her to bed. He had a small guest room and pulled the covers back on the small bed. He laid her down and pulled them over her. Turning the small lamp out he walked out of the room carefully closing the door and going to the master bed room. The only bedroom left on the boat. The one that Pepper usually had was taken by a child who could have used it more than a futon. He changed out of his clothes and put on some basketball shorts and a muscles shirt. He headed back out to find Pepper, to take her to bed as well. He was giving up his bed for her. He would take the futon for the night. "Jarvis, lock up" He said.

"Yes sir," The AI replied.

Tony found Pepper where he had left her, the same expression on her face. The one she had given him just an hour before. Even if the annoyance nagged in his mind he ignored it. Pepper wasn't well. And his pride and his mind were only getting in the way. He extended his hand down to her standing in front of her. "I'm sorry, Pepper. For everything." He said gently, waiting for her to look up at him. "I've been trying to make it up to you since all this happened...I know I've screwed it up since the moment I started. But can I just have one more chance.." He asked with a smile and a puppy-dog sparkle in his eyes. Remembering Sophia's reaction to it only made his smile grow. "Please?" He asked with a plea hanging on his voce.

When she looked up at him he still beamed down at her with soft eyes. She took his hand, with a grip that made him even tense up; not expecting it. He slowly pulled her up to her feet and put an arm around her waist to hold her on her feet. "There are just two things I want you to do for me, Pepper." He said and lookd over at her as she tried to get her feet solid and under her. "Okay, maybe three" he chuckled and walked her to the table that was surrounded by cushioned leather seats. "I want you to tell me what you are craving, I don't care what it is. Because I can sleep better at night knowing that you have something in you. Then I want you to get some rest. Before you argue, you are taking my bed." He said and leaned over on the table with a hand on her back making sure he had her attention on him. His hand moved in a circular motion between her shoulder blades. "You do that for me, I will be your Pepper Potts for the day." He said with a sincere smile. "And you can boss me around. Fair deal?" He asked with a smile. His hand had stopped moving but his thumb still made little half circles.


End file.
